1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to clips having dissociable gripping members and particularly to a two-piece tie down clip to attach to a flexible sheet, the clip comprising a first triple tapered wedge member with means to receive a rope or cord and a second mating triple tapered groove member which is placed behind the sheet material, whereby the first wedge member can slide into the second groove member with the flexible sheet clamped between by binding the sheet in a tight friction fit.
2. Description of Related Art
Including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
A variety means for fastening tarps and other sheet materials are known in the art. In the case of tarps, the cloth is provided with a plurality of holes along its margin through which rope or cord can be threaded to secure the tarp in a desired position. These holes in the tarp are often reinforced with grommets to prevent damage to the material. Unfortunately, the grommets often rip out of the tarp and the tarp becomes ripped or frayed. Edge-securing clips have been devised to use in place of the holes in a tarp, some of which pierce the tarp creating further damage, others comprise clamps or adhesively secured devices which lose their holding ability over time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,748, issued Aug. 18, 1987 to Kaivanto, is for an attachment device that comprises a clamp for attaching to a flexible sheet. The clamp has a first member with sides narrowing longitudinally to a first end and inclining upwardly inwardly. The first member can receive an attachment. A second member comprises a main body formed with a recess that narrows longitudinally to a first end and with interior sides that incline upwardly inwardly. Thus the first member can be received within the second member with the flexible sheet clamped between.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,975,000, issued Sep. 25, 1934 to Beaumont, provides a curtain attachment device which comprises a base channel member having a suspending means attached thereto which is placed behind a curtain. The device further comprises a wedge member which is placed in front of the curtain and fit within the base channel member, clamping the curtain between the two members.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,837,804, issued Jun. 10, 1958 to Danell, shows a hanger for holding vertically oriented sheet material. The hanger includes a back portion having a vertical dovetailed slot with forwardly extending side walls, and a hanging portion having a tapered end. The tapered end of the hanging portion is placed in front of the sheet material and then fitted within the back portion, clamping the sheet material between the two portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,125,540, issued Aug. 2, 1938 to Carlson, claims a fastening device that comprises a tapered receptacle and a tapered wedge for fitting within the tapered receptacle for holding a stocking and distributing the gripping surface over a large area, thereby avoiding damage to the stocking.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,218,769, issued Mar. 13, 1917 to Hill, describes a garment clasp for a stocking or the like which comprises a clasp having a tapering form, a pair of opposed channels along its edges and a strap attaching element. The device further comprises a flat tapered wedge piece which fits within the clasp to trap and hold the edge of the stocking.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,089,221, issued Aug. 10, 1937 to Patur, discloses a two-part securing means for attaching ornaments, flowers or the like to a garment. The device comprises a wedge to which the flowers or ornaments are attached, and a wedge-receiving base which is placed behind the garment. The wedge is fitted within the base with the garment clamped therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,063,429, issued Dec. 8, 1936 to Gordon, indicates a clasp or fastener for use with hosiery which comprises a female base member and a wedge-shaped male member. The wedge-shaped member can be received within the female member with the hose clamped therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,003, issued Jan. 15, 1974 to Thomson, puts forth a curtain hanger which includes a body having a vertical dovetailed slot with forwardly extending side walls, one of which is wider than the other, each of the forward edges of the side walls having a flange extending towards the other wall. The hanger includes a keeper or tongue element complimentary in shape to the space defined by the walls of the body member and adapted to engage drapery material which is slid into the slot by sideways insertion of the tongue towards the wider side wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,295, issued Sep. 14, 2004 to Svensson, concerns a clamp apparatus for application to an object, for example a plate, a sheet, a fabric or a thin film, by gripping two opposite sides of the object. For this purpose, the apparatus comprises a tubular element with an inner passage with a cross section which tapers in the direction of one end of the element and a clamp surface projecting from the opposite end of the element. A wedge shaped element with a tapering section is insertable into the passage via its wide opening. Thereby, a nip is formed in the co-operation between the wedge shaped element and the clamp surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,272, issued Dec. 2, 1997 to Woods, illustrates a two-part clip for the purpose of securely holding fabric or sheet material without damaging said material. The clip consists of a U-shaped body with an angled cavity and a wedge which is angled to fit snugly into the cavity. An additional component of the invention is a section of rope which is passed through a hole, first in the wedge, then through a hole in the body of the clip. The fabric to be secured is inserted into the cavity on either the top or the bottom of the wedge. As tension is applied to the rope, the wedge becomes firmly seated in the cavity, thus securing the fabric.
What is needed is an easy to install clip attachable to any portion of a sheet of covering material which is easy to attach to the material and exerts a strong long-lasting grip on the material without tearing the material.